Fire Brothers
by Lilly Talons
Summary: Zuko has a dragon. But how did he get his dragon? The Sun Warriors can't be too happy, after all, after a century it hasn't chosen them. Not that any of them have a choice, dragons pick who they like. Mostly Fluff!


I sat in darkness; I had stopped growing so long ago. They placed me somewhere, it was warm I suppose, but it was lonely. Young cubs held me every once in a while, but I never liked them. They had fires of their own, like me, but they were wrong. They were too timid, too mean, too changeable, and too un-loyal or undedicated. Sometimes there didn't seem to be anything wrong with them, except they were not my fire brother, and there was nothing they could do about that.

Then someone else held me. He wasn't quite a cub, yet not quite mature either. He was arrogant, easily angered, and confused, but he was also loyal, strong, kind, and knew what he wanted was different than what he needed. He needed me, even though he didn't know it yet.

Like the cubs that held me, and the matures, he had an inner fire. A fire that made him like the dragons, like me. And yet, that fire was dying. At first it made me angry, an inner fire couldn't die, it wasn't supposed to. Then I noticed that he had two fires. The biggest one was brighter, and was dying, but it was hiding another. The bright one was made of anger and hate, and it was fading quickly. The other one was strong but faint. Perhaps his true fire could grow if someone helped it. It could be even brighter and stronger than the other fire, if someone let it out of hiding. I knew that I could help him. He was mine now, and I was his.

After he let go, I never sensed him again. I waited, knowing that I was supposed to wait until he was there to hatch. He would protect me, and he would know that he is mine. But he never came back. The bitter mature came back again, but he was no better than the other times, so I ignored him.

I became so impatient that I knew my sires would be angry at me, but I could not wait. I pushed out of the shell when I felt the warmth of the fire in the sky.

I saw all of the clan standing around me, matures and cubs all staring at me. I had a thought, and image, and I knew their name was people, and I was a dragon, and we all shared an inner fire. Their faces were covered in fire colors and their hides were mostly bare save for odd fire color pelts and shiny pieces around their arms and ears.

One matures, who was the bitter one, started talking very fast. His fire almost leapt out of his control and he lunged toward me. My fire was superior to his, I was a dragon and he was very weak for a fire center, I could win dominance easily, but he was very large, perhaps he would not need fire to harm me. When his hands reached toward me, I bit him. I hated him for his weakness and his bitterness and because he had tried to make me hatch many times, so I bit him very, very hard. His clawless paw was very weak without scales, I was glad to hear him shriek, he showed his weakness to the clan, perhaps he would not bother me again.

Another mature approached me. His fire was stronger than the others, and eh had more fire colors on his face. He spoke softly, "Whose are you little one? We have not touched you in weeks, not since the Avatar and Zuko came."

I shivered in recognition from my race at the name avatar, but I felt my inner fire glow at the name of Zuko. The big mature tried to hold me too, so I bit him. Not so hard as before, but my teeth are very sharp.

For seven fire cycles, they tried to touch me, pick me up and feed me. I ate, but that was all. They bring two mature dragons, but they are not mine, so I ignore him. When they finally trapped me, they took me away. We traveled for two fire in sky cycles. Eventually I stopped biting, it no longer stopped them, though they did leave me mostly alone. I could sense my fire brother getting closer.

When they shoved me into the grasp of my fire brother I understood. I understood that the people were also called humans, that it was unordinary for the fire colored faces, sun warriors, to be here in the capital, and that my fire brother's name was Fire Lord Zuko, and I understood I was home.

/*\

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose as he read the letter addressed to him. He would've thought that after he became Fire Lord he wouldn't have had to deal with things as trivial as complaints. Although Zuko understood that not many people had much after the war, he really didn't think that anyone needed 20 gold pieces for a cabbage stand.

A snort of disgust escaped his mouth. He probably shouldn't be so bitter but he had been incredibly moody this past week. Anger would just hit him at random times and he would snap. The people around him expected his usual brand of moodiness but it had gotten to the point where Mai had wanted to take him to a healer.

Zuko looked up from his desk as he heard pounding on his door.

"Sire. You have visitors." His assistant looked stunned, but Zuko didn't really pay attention. He scrunched his nose, he hadn't been expecting any visitors.

"Send them in." Zuko blinked as he saw the painted faces come through the door, the Sun Warriors.

"Pardon us, Fire Lord, but we have what seems to be yours." Zuko stared at the scowling man in front of him, Ham Ghao, he thinks.

Ham Ghao gestured to the man behind him carrying a tightly wrapped bundle.

"What happened to your hand?" Slipped out of Zuko's mouth before he could stop it, there seemed to be several bit marks marring it. In fact, his shoes seemed to have several bite marks as well.

Ham Ghao ignored him and gestured to the man again. The other Sun Warrior brought the bundle forward and gave it to Zuko.

"That's a dragon." Zuko said in wonder.

"That's your dragon." The man replied disgruntled. He had a few bite marks as well.

Zuko carfully took the bundle into his hands and a flood of calm washed over him. _Oh,_ he thought, _that's where the mood swings came from._

/*\

A/N: I wrote this with my friend, there might be more chapters, depending on how it goes. For now though it's a oneshot.


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